About
Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS)
The Intellectual Disability Rights Service (IDRS) is a disability advocacy service and community legal centre for people with intellectual disability. They are a statewide service in
NSW with offices in Sydney, Newcastle and Wollongong.
They work with and for people with intellectual disabilities to advance and promote their rights in practice.
IDRS are often looking for people to join their education, legal, business support, administration or
IDRS primarily provides legal advice, casework and
justice support teams.
stations, court and other legal processes and advocacy for
You can view the website here:
advocacy. It provides support persons to attend police people with intellectual disabilities involved in criminal
https://idrs.org.au/category/jobs/
at risk of losing their children. They also advocate for
Fun Fact / Recent Project
intellectual disability.
The IDRS Parents’ Program provides legal advice and
IDRS delivers a range of education and training programs
parents with intellectual disability who are involved
people with intellectual disability. They also produce rights
Services (FACS) across NSW. The program has a
justice matters and for parents with intellectual disability improvements to law and policies affecting people with
Enabling Fairness in Care and Protection
representation and specialist non-legal assistance to
including rights and self-advocacy development with
with the Department of Family and Community
resources for people with disability.
strong record of family preservation when working
What kind of work?
including in cases where parents already have
and training, a free service for people with cognitive
meaningful participation of parents with intellectual
with parents prior to care applications being made,
The IDRS provides legal help, justice support, NDIS appeals
children in Out of Home Care. It has also increased the
impairment across NSW.
disability in their care applications.
The team works alongside people with cognitive
The Parents’ Program began in response to the over-
in dealing with the legal system.
in care and protection matters in the Children’s
Location
non-legal parent advocate four days per week and
impairment who need help with legal problems or support
representation of parents with intellectual disability
Court. The Program employs a lawyer and a specialist
Sydney
combines legal and advocacy strategies to ensure
Student Opportunities
throughout the process and are given the best chance
parents with intellectual disability are fairly treated
The IDRS accepts Legal Student Volunteers who have
to raise their children.
Legal Training (PLT) placement with IDRS.
The lawyer and parent advocate work together on
Occasionally they take on law students who are in the
non-IDRS lawyers and advocates on others. Program
demonstrate a clear interest and likely aptitude for helping
people with intellectual disability in legal contexts.
studied law and are looking to complete their Practical
final two (2) years of undergraduate legal studies and who us and our clients.
Application forms are available on the website here:
88
Graduate Opportunities
https://idrs.org.au/volunteers/
some matters and separately or collaboratively with
staff have specialist skills and expertise in supporting